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CrashStats

Preston road accidents in 2023: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 363 road traffic collisions in Preston in 2023, and 515 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 1 was fatal and 117 were serious.

Collisions were up 9% on 2022 (333), and casualties rose from 449.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 28,414 collisions in Preston.

Collisions in 2023
363
Up 9% on 2022
Casualties in 2023
515
Up 15% on 2022
Fatal collisions
1
0.3% of collisions
Serious collisions
117
32% of collisions

Crash severity in Preston in 2023

0.3% of collisions in Preston in 2023 were fatal and 32% serious, against 1.1% and 18% in Preston from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal10.3%
  • Serious11732%
  • Slight24567%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal10.2%
  • Serious13226%
  • Slight38274%

Preston road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Preston, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 888 in 1997. 2023 is highlighted, with 363, up 9% on 2022.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 2023
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
2025346453
2024343465
2023363515
2022333449
2021319458
2020270370
2019362494
2018409560
2017378518
2016394548
2015386575
2014464642
2013378503
2012469638
2011489676
2010529774
2009636892
2008657936
20077261,008
20067621,112
20057211,019
20047141,013
2003706974
20027361,111
20018551,275
20007971,215
19996671,019
19987051,016
19978881,288
19968201,179
19957881,138
19948531,188
19937451,053
1992718950
19917541,008
19907611,035
1989664890
1988632824
1987622802
1986665860
1985633855
1984681858
1983627762
1982653805
1981642841
1980669821
1979685879

When and where crashes happen in Preston in 2023

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday39 (11%)
  • Tuesday43 (12%)
  • Wednesday61 (17%)
  • Thursday66 (18%)
  • Friday74 (20%)
  • Saturday47 (13%)
  • Sunday33 (9.1%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:5919 (5.2%)
  • 03:00 to 05:599 (2.5%)
  • 06:00 to 08:5946 (13%)
  • 09:00 to 11:5934 (9.4%)
  • 12:00 to 14:5961 (17%)
  • 15:00 to 17:5993 (26%)
  • 18:00 to 20:5965 (18%)
  • 21:00 to 23:5936 (9.9%)

Collisions by month

  • January23 (6.3%)
  • February14 (3.9%)
  • March23 (6.3%)
  • April22 (6.1%)
  • May30 (8.3%)
  • June49 (13%)
  • July37 (10%)
  • August27 (7.4%)
  • September38 (10%)
  • October33 (9.1%)
  • November40 (11%)
  • December27 (7.4%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight241 (66%)
  • Dark, street lights lit90 (25%)
  • Dark, no street lighting15 (4.1%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit10 (2.8%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown7 (1.9%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds273 (75%)
  • Raining, no high winds52 (14%)
  • Raining with high winds9 (2.5%)
  • Fine with high winds2 (0.6%)
  • Fog or mist1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing with high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Snowing, no high winds1 (0.3%)
  • Other15 (4.1%)
  • Not recorded9 (2.5%)

Road surface

  • Dry236 (65%)
  • Wet or damp123 (34%)
  • Frost or ice4 (1.1%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 20 mph56 (15%)
  • 30 mph238 (66%)
  • 40 mph16 (4.4%)
  • 50 mph12 (3.3%)
  • 60 mph10 (2.8%)
  • 70 mph31 (8.5%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway270 (74%)
  • Dual carriageway79 (22%)
  • One way street or slip road6 (1.7%)
  • Roundabout6 (1.7%)
  • Not recorded2 (0.6%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Preston in 2023

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant313 (61%)
  • Pedestrian95 (18%)
  • Cyclist40 (7.8%)
  • Motorcyclist28 (5.4%)
  • Van occupant18 (3.5%)
  • Bus or coach occupant9 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)4 (0.8%)
  • E-scooter or powered transporter user3 (0.6%)
  • Other vehicle occupant1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded4 (0.8%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 56 (1.2%)
  • 6 to 1024 (4.7%)
  • 11 to 1526 (5%)
  • 16 to 2072 (14%)
  • 21 to 2552 (10%)
  • 26 to 35112 (22%)
  • 36 to 4584 (16%)
  • 46 to 5559 (11%)
  • 56 to 6542 (8.2%)
  • 66 to 7519 (3.7%)
  • Over 7518 (3.5%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider301 (58%)
  • Passenger119 (23%)
  • Pedestrian95 (18%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car497 (76%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes42 (6.5%)
  • Pedal cycle40 (6.2%)
  • Motorcycle32 (4.9%)
  • Bus or coach11 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle, weight unknown11 (1.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes7 (1.1%)
  • Personal powered transporter (e-scooter or similar)5 (0.8%)
  • Other vehicle3 (0.5%)
  • Minibus1 (0.2%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.2%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Preston in 2023

Map of the last 24 crashes of 2023 and the 10 busiest accident hotspots in Preston

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

Accident hotspots (10)

How Preston ranked among 351 areas in 2023

Of the 351 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Preston had the 84th most road collisions in 2023.

Collisions
84th
highest of 351 areas
Casualties
72nd
highest of 351 areas
Fatal collisions
279th
of 351 areas, highest first
Serious collisions
43rd
highest of 351 areas

Accident hotspots in Preston in 2023

City Centre, Preston, PR1 1FB area was the busiest accident hotspot in Preston in 2023, with 48 collisions, 15 of them serious.

Roads in Preston with the most crashes in 2023

The A5085 had the most collisions in Preston in 2023: 29, including 11 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Preston, 2023
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA50852938011
2ndA6253002
3rdA59222605
4thM6224608
5thA583202508
6thB6243202819
7thB6241131906
8thB5269101903
9thM55102001
10thB541161102
11thA60635603
12thA50714502
13thA5823802
14thB62423400
15thA50722200
16thA11400
17thB52541100

Towns in Preston: crashes in 2023

Preston, Preston had the most collisions of any town in Preston in 2023: 239.

Postcode districts in Preston: crashes in 2023

PR2 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Preston in 2023: 157.

Latest crashes in Preston in 2023

Of the last 24 crashes in Preston in 2023, none were fatal and 6 were serious. The last was on 30 December 2023.

Severity

Preston road accidents in other years